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Education Councils

What are Education Councils?

Education Councils are part of New York City's school governance structure. There is a Community Education Council (CEC) for every community school district. There are also four Citywide Councils:

the Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS)

the Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE)

the Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL), and

the Citywide Council for D75 (CCD75).

All NYC Education Councils are elected every two years (in odd years) according to rules set by NY State Education Law. The three mandatory officers (president, treasurer, recording secretary) of PA/PTAs vote for the parent members. Each Borough President and the Public Advocate also appoint members. All members serve a two-year term that begins on July 1 of the election year.

Contact and Meeting Schedule

Contact a Council

All Education Council meetings are open to the public. The DOE’s calendar (see sidebar) lists upcoming meeting dates. Please make sure to confirm the time and location with the Council because details may change. A list of members and contact information for each Council is on the Current Members of Education Councils page:

Contact the Division of Family and Community Engagement (FACE)

The Division of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) is responsible for developing and supporting parent governance structures in New York City. You may contact FACE at ccecinfo@schools.nyc.gov or 212-374-1936.

What Do Education Councils Do?

New York City's Community and Citywide Education Councils are charged with promoting student achievement, advising and commenting on educational policies, and providing input to the chancellor and the Panel for Educational Policy. Their powers and duties are spelled out in NYS Education Law Section 2590-e and Section 2590-b.

Community Education Councils

Hold monthly public meetings with the superintendent to discuss the state of schools in the district;

Review the district’s educational programs and assess their effect on student achievement

Approve zoning lines as submitted by the superintendent

Liaise with School and District Leadership Teams

Hold hearings on the Capital Plan and prioritize requests for capital improvements in district schools

Participate in Joint Public Hearings on school closings and co-locations

Submit an annual evaluation of the superintendent to the chancellor

Host Chancellor’s Town Halls for their districts

Citywide Councils

Issue annual reports on how effectively the represented populations are served

Advise and comment on policies affecting the represented populations

Composition of Education Councils

Community Education Councils (CECs) have 11 voting members:

Nine elected parents of current Pre-K - grade 8 students in public non-charter schools within the Community School District

At least one must be the parent of a student classified as an English Language Learner either currently or within the previous two years

At least one must be the parent of a student with an IEP

Two members appointed by the Borough President, who either live or own a business in the district

One non-voting high school student

The Citywide Council on High Schools (CCHS) has 13 voting members:

Ten elected parents (2 per borough) of children currently attending a public non-charter high school

Three appointed members

One appointed by the Public Advocate

One appointed by the Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE)

One appointed by the Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL)

The Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE) has 11 voting members:

Nine elected parents whose children are currently receiving special education services provided by and/or paid for by the DOE

Two appointed by the Public Advocate

One non-voting high school student

The Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL) has 11 voting members:

Nine elected parents whose child is in a bilingual or ESL program either currently or within the previous two years

Two appointed by the Public Advocate

One non-voting high school student

The Citywide Council for District 75 (CCD75) has 11 voting members:

Nine elected parents whose children are currently in a D75 school or program

Two appointed by the Public Advocate

One non-voting high school student

Who cannot serve?

You are not eligible to serve if you are a DOE employee, a public official, or have been convicted of certain crimes. Visit How to Run for an Education Council Seat for a complete list of eligibility requirements.

Term Limits

There are no term limits for:

Elected parent members

Public Advocate appointees

Borough President appointees are limited to two 2-year terms

Member Requirements

Council members must attend DOE approved training at least once a year. (A list of trainings is available on the InfoHub.) Members must also submit a monthly performance report that includes meeting attendance records, school visits, and committee activities.

All Education Council members must commit to attend each meeting of their council. Three or more unexcused absences (as defined in Chancellor's Regulation D-140) are grounds for dismissal:

Currently Available Council Seats

Occasionally, members resign and councils have vacant seats. For councils to function at their highest level, it is important that they have a full membership. If you are interested in filling a vacant seat on your district CEC or a Citywide Council, we urge you to attend one or more meetings and speak with members to familiarize yourself with what the council does.

Applications to fill a vacancy on a council as a Parent Member, Borough President Appointee, or Public Advocate Appointee for the 2017-2019 term are on the InfoHub.

High school students who are interested in filling the non-voting student member seat should download an application from the InfoHub.